Parador de Aiguablava

I’m extremely disappointed by how our cancellation was handled. We had a weekend planned for the beginning of August, but a heart condition came up and I couldn’t travel, so I had to cancel through the booking agency. When I asked the hotel about it, they said there was nothing they could do because they’d received my money through the agency. They made little effort to offer credit towards a future booking. I lost 1000€ on what was meant to be my proposal night, and I’m deeply angry about the lack of solutions and the money I lost.

The hotel is beautiful inside and out, with spectacular views. It’s quiet, you aren’t disturbed, and you can walk down to swim in the sea without needing to stay on the beach. It really could be perfect. But it isn’t. I was willing to pay extra for the suite, and honestly, the price feels like a rip-off. I understand paying more for the view, but the suite was dirty. The jacuzzi was old and smelled. I asked for the showers to be cleaned on the first day, but it never happened. Broken shower gel bottles were left on the floor and staff didn’t respond. The outdoor furniture was dirty and worn. Things age, but the place could keep its standards just by cleaning. The condition of the room was unacceptable for the price. And the restaurant staff, honestly, their behaviour left us unsure how to react. Some of their treatment of foreign guests, including French, British, and German guests, was borderline rude and unacceptable for a four-star hotel. You can’t ignore people trying to order breakfast or drinks because you don’t want to speak English, then throw plates around as if you’re serving animals.

The views are lovely, but the hotel feels remote from town, and it’s hard to enjoy staying here when you can’t use the facilities. A bit of drizzle in the morning meant the whole pool was closed for the day. You also need reservations for the gym and breakfast, and we weren’t told about the gym in advance. It was empty, but we still couldn’t go in. Having to plan the day so tightly around hotel rules makes it difficult to relax on vacation. The staff were horrendously bad, and the policies made the stay unpleasant.

Friends of Paradors for years, but this was the worst by far. The views are great and reception staff were okay. Everything else was a problem: the dining room felt like a brightly lit, charm-free buffet, there weren’t enough staff, and the ones working seemed too busy to care. Bar staff were useless, and they charged for everything. Even at those extortionate prices, there wasn’t a bottle of water in the room, and the usual Friends complimentary drinks had been downgraded. Breakfast queues were huge. That’s a management issue, and it should be fixable with a bigger room and more staff. Verbal and written complaints were laughed off. I expected management platitudes, and sure enough, I saw them later. Nothing will change because they have a ready supply of guests and just don’t GAF. The place is hugely overpriced and overrated, utterly disgusting money-grabbing profiteering. Avoid it completely. I’ve stayed in 2 stars that were better. Sack the useless manager. Scheisters. Teruel has cava for your free drink like most Paradors, unlike this scam city. Seriously, avoid. It’s shocking. 19/10/25.